Bokasyon AVSJ

28/01/2026

St. Thomas Aquinas: Prayer before Study

Creator of all things,
true Source of light and wisdom,
lofty origin of all being,
graciously let a ray of Your brilliance
pe*****te into the darkness of my understanding
and take from me the double darkness
in which I have been born,
an obscurity of both sin and ignorance.
Give me a sharp sense of understanding,
a retentive memory,
and the ability to grasp things correctly and fundamentally.
Grant me the talent of being exact in my explanations,
and the ability to express myself with thoroughness and charm.
Point out the beginning,
direct the progress,
and help in completion;
through Christ our Lord.

Amen.

—St. Thomas Aquinas

14/01/2026

𝐀𝐫𝐜𝐡𝐛𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐩 𝐃𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐝 𝐖𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐚𝐦 𝐀𝐧𝐭𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐨 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐚𝐬 𝐍𝐮𝐞𝐯𝐚 𝐒𝐞𝐠𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐚’𝐬 𝐞𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐡 𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐧 𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡𝐛𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐩

SANTA MARIA, Ilocos Sur – The Catholic Church in Ilocandia marks a significant milestone today as Most Rev. David William V. Antonio, D.D. is set to formally take canonical possession and be installed as the Eighth Metropolitan Archbishop of Nueva Segovia during a solemn Eucharistic celebration at the Minor Basilica of Our Lady of the Assumption in Santa Maria, Ilocos Sur, January 14 Wednesday.

The installation will be presided over by Most Rev. Charles John Brown, D.D., Apostolic Nuncio to the Philippines, representing the Holy See in the formal entrustment of the centuries-old archdiocese to its new shepherd. Church leaders, clergy, religious, government officials and lay faithful from across the Ilocos region are expected to attend the ceremony at the UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Rooted in Ilocos Sur

Archbishop Antonio’s installation carries deep local significance. He was born on December 29, 1963, in Nagtupacan, Santo Domingo, Ilocos Sur making today’s event a homecoming to the province where his vocation was first nurtured. Church officials have noted his strong Ilocano roots and pastoral familiarity with the region he is now called to lead.

Priesthood and formation

Antonio was ordained to the priesthood on December 1, 1988, for the Archdiocese of Nueva Segovia. He undertook his philosophical studies at San Pablo Seminary in Baguio City and completed his theological formation at the Immaculate Conception School of Theology in Vigan City.

He later earned a doctorate in Sacred Theology from The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., an academic background that shaped his work in priestly formation, liturgy, and diocesan governance.

Episcopal career

Appointed auxiliary bishop of Nueva Segovia in 2011, Antonio was consecrated bishop on August 26, 2011, and given the titular see of Basti. He went on to serve as Apostolic Administrator of the Apostolic Vicariate of San Jose in Occidental Mindoro from 2015 to 2023.

In 2018, he was appointed Bishop of Ilagan in Isabela, where his ministry emphasized pastoral outreach, liturgical renewal, and strengthening of local church communities. He has also held key leadership roles within the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), particularly in commissions on liturgy and vocations.

A new chapter begins

Today’s installation officially begins Archbishop Antonio’s pastoral leadership of the Archdiocese of Nueva Segovia, one of the oldest ecclesiastical jurisdictions in the Philippines and the metropolitan see for several dioceses in Northern Luzon.

Church leaders say the occasion signals both continuity and renewal, as the Ilocano Church looks to its new archbishop to guide the faithful amid evolving social, cultural, and spiritual challenges.

13/01/2026

The Archdiocese of Nueva Segovia warmly invites the clergy, religious, and faithful to the Solemn Canonical Possession and Installation of
His Excellency, Most Rev. David William V. Antonio, D.D.,
as the Eighth Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Nueva Segovia.

By His Excellency, Most Rev. Charles J. Brown, D.D.,
Apostolic Nuncio to the Philippines.

This historic and grace-filled celebration will be held on
Wednesday, January 14, 2026, at 9:30 AM,
at the Minor Basilica of Our Lady of the Assumption,
Poblacion Sur, Sta. Maria, Ilocos Sur.

Let us come together in prayer and thanksgiving as we welcome our new Archbishop and entrust his pastoral ministry to the loving guidance of God.

13/01/2026

13/01/2026

I POPE LEO XIV PROCLAIMS JUBILEE YEAR OF SAINT FRANCIS WITH PLENARY INDULGENCES

To mark the 800th anniversary of the death (transitus) of Saint Francis of Assisi, Pope Leo XIV has proclaimed a Special Jubilee Year of Saint Francis, to be observed from January 10, 2026, to January 10, 2027. Issued through a decree of the Apostolic Penitentiary, the Jubilee is presented as a spiritual continuation of the Ordinary Jubilee of 2025 and invites the faithful to renew their commitment to holiness, peace, and evangelical charity following the example of the Seraphic Patriarch.

During the Jubilee Year, the faithful may obtain a Plenary Indulgence, under the usual conditions, by making pilgrimages to churches, monasteries and oratories administered by the Franciscan Order and diocesan churches with St. Francis of Assisi is the titular patron, as well as through prayer and spiritual union for those unable to travel. The indulgence is also applicable for the souls in Purgatory. The decree encourages priests to generously offer the Sacrament of Reconciliation and calls all Christians to embody mercy, humility, and peace in a world marked by division, echoing the enduring spiritual legacy of Saint Francis of Assisi.